During surgical procedures, in-vivo instrument ends accumulate various types of debris that must be periodically cleaned. Current practice during surgical procedures is for medical personnel to use a gauze sponge to pinch, wipe and catch the debris from the in-vivo instrument ends. This cleaning process is usually performed many times during a surgical procedure as the surgeon mobilizes and exposes various pathologies in the surgical area.
The present invention is a tool used during various surgical procedures, including neuro-surgical and orthopedic surgical procedures, to clean debris from various surgical instruments. The surgical instruments may include, among others, bi-polar forceps, kerrison rongeur punches, pituitary rongeurs, other rongeurs, other instruments, and suction tips.
The invention will therefore reduce repetitive stress injuries for scrubbed medical personnel such as surgeons, surgical technologists, surgical scrub nurses, first assistants, and the like. The invention is expected to speed up the operative procedure by permitting the surgeon to clear the working instrument more easily, and in some instances by himself, merely by inserting the instrument into the concentric plate area, or else by drawing the instrument across the invention.
The invention also quickens the cleaning of clogged suction tips since the bulb syringes commonly provided do not connect or couple to the commonly provided suction tips, thus requiring the scrub person to use a 20 mL or other size leur locking, or non-leur locking syringe for this cleaning purpose.
Clearly there is a need for an effective tool to clean the debris from in-vivo instrument ends during surgical procedures. The present invention accomplishes this objective.